The nuclear transcription factor c-MYC is a member of the MYC gene family having multiple functions and located on band q24.1 of chromosome 8. The c-MYC gene is activated by chromosomal translocation, rearrangement, and amplification. Its encoded protein transduces intracellular signals to the nucleus, resulting in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, and has the ability to transform cells and bind chromosomal DNA. c-MYC also plays a critical role in malignant transformation. The abnormal overexpression of c-MYC is frequently observed in some tumors, including carcinomas of the breast, colon, and cervix, as well as small-cell lung cancer, osteosarcomas, glioblastomas, and myeloid leukemias, therefore making it a possible target for anticancer therapy.
Although targeting the oncogenic effects of the c-MYC protein may have tremendous potential to treat cancer patients, drug development has been challenging for a variety of reasons. There are no drugs currently available that effectively target MYC-associated cancers. Although there are clinical trials underway to examine the efficacy of microRNA mimics in liver cancer and in hematological malignancies, these microRNAs are not known to target MYC.